The CARE for Parenting Students Act clarifies which student populations can receive child care assistance through an existing federal program called the Child Care and Development Block Grant. Specifically, it expands the definition of eligible "parental activity" to include students enrolled in various education and training programs, such as those accredited by colleges, registered with the Department of Labor, or approved by state nursing boards. The bill authorizes an additional $850 million per year in funding for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to support child care assistance for these students. This legislation aims to help student parents, particularly those pursuing vocational and professional training, access affordable child care while they pursue their education.

H.R. 8357, the 6PPD Task Force Act, would set up a federal task force focused on the chemical 6PPD found in many tires and the by-product 6PPD-Q, which can wash into waterways and harm coho salmon. Within 60 days of enactment, the Department of Transportation, working with the Environmental Protection Agency, would arrange for the National Academy of Sciences to create the task force. The group would coordinate federal and outside research, identify and recommend funding opportunities for safer tire additives or other approaches to reduce harm, share best practices for mitigation such as stormwater treatment, and also look at other sources of exposure beyond tires. The task force would meet at least three times per year, and it would issue a report within 180 days and then annually, with results made public. The bill also lays out a broad membership that includes federal agencies, Tribal representatives from the western coast, state officials, universities, and private industry, and it exempts the task force from the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

Office of Small Farms Establishment Act of 2026This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish the Office of Small Farms within the farm production and conservation mission area. The office must coordinate, review, and implement various programs and activities related to small farms, ranches, and forest operations. Under the bill, a small farm, ranch, or forest operation (1) is less than 180 acres or meets another USDA-determined, acreage-based definition of small; and (2) has an annual gross cash farm income of less than $350,000.Among other things, the activities of the office related to small farms, ranches, and forest operations must includecoordinating USDA efforts to improve support for these operators;providing or coordinating technical assistance for these operators for USDA grant, cost-share, and loan programs; andproviding grants of not more than $25,000 to these operators directly or through cooperative agreements with other entities for areas including equipment and infrastructure repairs and upgrades, uninsured losses, business planning, and conservation practice adoption.In addition, the Office of Small Farms must designate a small farms coordinator in each state.

This bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to transfer ownership of the Clear Creek Hatchery infrastructure to the Nisqually Indian Tribe at no cost to the tribe. The hatchery facilities—which include fish ponds, springs, dams, a fish ladder, raceways, wells, and associated pipes, electrical systems, roads, and security fences—must be conveyed within 90 days of the bill's enactment. The transfer applies to specific infrastructure shown on two maps dated December 3, 2024, with the maps serving as the controlling document in case of any discrepancies with written legal descriptions. The Interior Department will create detailed maps and legal descriptions and make them available for public inspection, and both the department and the Nisqually Indian Tribe can mutually agree to correct minor errors in these documents. This legislation affects the Nisqually Indian Tribe, a Native American nation in the Pacific Northwest, and represents a transfer of federal property related to salmon hatchery operations.

The Maximizing Transportation Efficiency Act directs the federal government to expand funding and support for transportation demand management (TDM) strategies—programs that encourage people to use carpools, vanpools, public transit, and other alternatives to driving alone. The bill establishes a new $20 million annual grant program specifically for rural areas, where residents often spend more on transportation due to limited options, and creates an additional $20 million competitive grant program for smaller transportation projects nationwide. Eligible recipients include state transportation departments, local governments, tribal governments, transit agencies, and nonprofit organizations that can use funding for activities like vanpooling programs, employer incentive benefits, trip-planning apps, parking management, and public education campaigns. The bill also modifies existing federal transportation programs to explicitly allow funding for TDM strategies, recognizing that such approaches are a cost-effective way to reduce traffic congestion (estimated at $74 billion annually) and improve access to jobs and services, particularly in underserved rural communities.

The FOSTER Act amends the 21st Century Cures Act to expand federal support for children and families affected by the opioid crisis. Specifically, the bill directs funding to state and local child welfare agencies to provide opioid prevention and treatment services, including workforce training for caregivers, health care services, and recruitment and training for foster and adoptive parents. The legislation defines "kinship caregivers" as relatives raising children when biological or adoptive parents cannot, and ensures these families are included in opioid response efforts. The bill authorizes $255 million annually for fiscal years 2028 through 2033 to support these programs, with 1 percent of that funding designated specifically for kinship caregiver services.

The Investments in Innovation Act of 2025 amends federal small business investment rules to help direct more capital toward businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs. Specifically, the bill allows Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs) to exclude certain investments in disadvantaged-owned businesses when calculating how much they can borrow, giving these investment firms more borrowing capacity if they commit to investing at least 50 percent of their funds in such businesses. Companies that meet this commitment threshold can borrow up to 300 percent of their private capital (or $175 million, whichever is less), and multiple related companies combined cannot exceed $250 million in total leverage. The bill is designed to expand access to investment capital for underrepresented entrepreneurs while encouraging SBICs to focus on diversity and economic inclusion in their investment portfolios.

This bill creates a pilot program to help beginning farmers and ranchers access better financing for long-term investments in their operations. Currently, such investments are often financed as short-term operating loans, which leaves new farmers undercapitalized and struggling to meet loan terms. The new program would offer development loans of up to $100,000 with flexible repayment terms of 3 to 10 years and low interest rates (0 to 3 percent) specifically for investments like equipment, soil improvements, breeding stock, market development, and business management systems. The Department of Agriculture must establish the pilot program within two years and provide borrowers with comprehensive training on farm management, bookkeeping, and financial planning through existing agricultural education networks. The bill requires the agency to report biennially to Congress on the pilot program's performance, though no specific funding amount is identified in the legislation itself.

H.R. 5368, the Pipeline Safety Engagement Act of 2025, directs the Secretary of Transportation to rename the Community Liaison Services within the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration as the Office of Public Engagement within one year of the bill's enactment. The newly renamed office will be responsible for proactively engaging with pipeline operators, public safety organizations, and state and local officials to promote pipeline safety awareness, encourage adoption of safety programs, and educate the public about pipeline regulations and best practices. The bill emphasizes making the office's activities and information accessible to the general public and requires it to retain existing community liaison positions. The Secretary must submit a report to Congress within 18 months describing how the office has been implemented. No specific funding amounts are allocated in the legislation.

The Gun Violence Prevention Research Act of 2025 authorizes $50 million annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct and support research on firearm safety and gun violence prevention. The funding would run from fiscal year 2026 through 2031, totaling $300 million over the six-year period, and is separate from any existing CDC appropriations. This research authorization would allow the CDC to study topics related to reducing gun violence and improving firearm safety practices. The bill affects public health agencies and researchers working in this field, as it provides dedicated federal resources for scientific investigation into gun violence as a public health issue. The legislation was introduced in July 2025 and referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

The Cool Corridors Act extends and expands the existing Healthy Streets program through 2030 to help communities combat extreme heat by planting trees and installing shade infrastructure along walking, biking, and transit routes. The legislation broadens eligible project recipients to include transit agencies, schools, and environmental organizations, and allows funding for tree planting, shade structures, smart heat-monitoring sensors, and workforce training in urban forestry. The bill prioritizes investments in disadvantaged communities and neighborhoods with historically low tree coverage or high heat exposure, recognizing that these areas often lack sufficient cooling infrastructure. Within five years, the Transportation Secretary must report to Congress on program outcomes and recommend whether to make it permanent. This bill addresses growing concerns about extreme heat's impact on public health and infrastructure while improving transportation corridor safety and accessibility for all users.

H.R. 4351 modifies the Family and Medical Leave Act to make it easier for spouses of active-duty military members to take unpaid leave from work. Currently, employees generally must work for their employer for 12 months before qualifying for family and medical leave; this bill reduces that requirement to just 90 days for spouses of active-duty service members. The legislation affects military spouses nationwide who need time off for military-related reasons and aims to support military families by allowing them to access leave protections more quickly. The bill was introduced in July 2025 and referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce, along with two other committees, for review. No specific funding or implementation timeline is included in the bill text.

The Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act of 2025 would authorize the Treasury Department to award grants to nonprofit and community-based organizations that help people pay for travel and related costs to access abortion services in states where abortion is legal or more accessible. Eligible expenses covered by the grants include transportation, lodging, meals, childcare, translation services, doula care, and lost wages, though the grants cannot be used to pay for the abortion procedure itself. Organizations serving people from states with abortion bans or severe restrictions would receive priority for these grants. The bill would appropriate $350 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 and includes protections preventing federal agencies from cooperating with state investigations or prosecutions related to the program.

This bill modifies naturalization rules for spouses of active-duty military members by eliminating a standard three-month state residency requirement before they can apply for U.S. citizenship. Currently, most applicants for naturalized citizenship must live in the same state or immigration service district for at least three months before filing their citizenship application. The legislation would waive this waiting period specifically for spouses of service members stationed anywhere in the United States, recognizing that military families frequently relocate to different states for duty assignments. The bill affects permanent residents married to active-duty armed forces personnel and has no specified funding or implementation timeline beyond its enactment.

The MIDWIVES for Service Members Act directs the Department of Defense to launch a five-year pilot program offering midwife services to military families and beneficiaries covered under TRICARE, the military health insurance program. The program must begin within one year of the law's enactment, with the Secretary of Defense required to submit an implementation plan within 180 days. The pilot will track key metrics including program costs, patient outcomes (such as preterm and low-birth-weight rates), maternal and fetal health results, patient satisfaction, and access to care, with annual reports submitted to Congress throughout the program and for one year after it ends. If deemed successful, the Secretary may make midwife services permanent under TRICARE. The legislation does not specify dedicated funding amounts but directs detailed cost analysis and evaluation of potential savings from improved maternal and infant health outcomes.

The Local Food Recycling and Regenerative Opportunities Act creates a new federal tax credit to encourage households to reduce food waste. Homeowners can claim a 30 percent tax credit on purchases of residential food recycling appliances (up to $300 per appliance) and for subscribing to local organic waste collection services (up to $120 annually). The appliances must be electric devices that separate food waste from trash and process it through dehydration and size reduction, while the waste services must collect this processed food waste for local management instead of sending it to landfills. The credit applies only to principal residences in the United States and becomes available starting with the 2026 tax year, but expires after December 31, 2031. This legislation aims to support environmentally sustainable food waste management practices at the household level while benefiting the tax filers who participate.

This bill authorizes the National Science Foundation to award competitive grants to organizations for programs that increase participation of women, underrepresented minorities, LGBTQ individuals, and people with disabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. Eligible activities funded through these grants include mentoring programs, internships, school outreach, online workshops, and faculty recruitment initiatives aimed at underrepresented groups. The bill is driven by data showing significant disparities—for example, women earn only 24 percent of engineering degrees compared to men, and Black and Hispanic workers represent only 9 and 4 percent respectively of the STEM workforce despite making up larger shares of the population. The legislation authorizes $15 million annually for five fiscal years (2026–2030) to support these diversity-building efforts in STEM education and careers.

This bill would expand TRICARE health coverage—the military's health insurance program—to include assisted reproductive services for active-duty service members and their dependents. The legislation removes existing restrictions that limit fertility treatments to cases involving service-connected disabilities, and ensures coverage regardless of a person's sex, gender, sexual orientation, or marital status. Covered services would include in-vitro fertilization, various insemination procedures, and embryo or sperm preservation. The bill generally requires an appropriate period of at least one year of unsuccessful attempts to conceive before coverage applies, though medical providers can determine if a shorter period is medically justified. The legislation does not specify new funding amounts, instead directing the Secretary of Defense to determine implementation details for integrating these services into the existing TRICARE program.

The Abortion DOULAS Act directs the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a comprehensive study on abortion doula services—non-clinical support provided to individuals before, during, and after abortion procedures. The study will examine how abortion doulas improve patient experiences and quality of care, assess the availability of these services across states, and collect data from patients, doulas, and healthcare providers, with particular attention to underserved communities. Within 18 months of enactment, the Secretary must submit a report to Congress with findings and policy recommendations for states on incorporating abortion doula care into Medicaid programs, including suggestions for increasing access in rural and underserved areas. The bill reflects concerns that abortion doula services—which provide emotional, informational, and practical support—are often unpaid or volunteer-based and remain inaccessible to many, particularly low-income individuals and people of color, despite research showing high patient satisfaction rates.

BAH Restoration ActThis bill increases the monthly amount of the basic housing allowance for members of the uniformed services inside the United States.Specifically, the monthly amount of allowance for a member must be the amount of the monthly cost of adequate housing in the area, as determined by the Department of Defense, for members of the uniformed services serving in the same pay grade and same dependency status as the member. (Currently, the allowance is based on the difference between this amount and a percentage of the national average monthly cost of housing for members with the same pay grade and dependency status.)

Care Across Generations ActThis bill requires the Administration on Aging to award grants for long-term care facilities (including assisted living and nursing homes) to offer child care services and to coordinate multigenerational activities among long-term care and child care participants. In lieu of directly operating a child care facility, a long-term care facility may opt to contract with an existing child care facility. Grant recipients may also use the funds to build or expand a facility to accommodate child care and multigenerational events.

Health Equity and Rare Disease Act of 2025 or the HEARD Act of 2025This bill establishes Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants and other initiatives to address rare diseases or conditions (e.g., those affecting less than 200,000 people in the United States) in racial and ethnic minority populations. For example, to advance such purposes, the bill establishes within HHSgrants to public and private nonprofit entities for data collection and public outreach,grants to health professions schools to improve health care and minority representation in research regarding rare diseases and conditions,grants to tribal epidemiology centers and tribal and urban Indian health centers for research regarding rare diseases and conditions in tribal communities,scholarships and educational loan repayment for medical school students who agree to work as health care professionals serving populations with rare diseases or conditions,initiatives to coordinate research and other activities across the National Institutes of Health, andpublic health awareness and education campaigns.Also, the bill requires HHS to submit various reports to Congress on topics including (1) the federal government’s research and public health activities regarding rare diseases or conditions in minority populations, (2) regulatory barriers to treating rare diseases in Medicare beneficiaries of color, and (3) strategies for research and development of treatments for rare diseases or conditions that disproportionately impact minority populations.

Equal and Uniform Treatment in the Military Act or the EQUITY Act This bill prohibits discrimination within the Department of Defense (DOD) against individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation.A qualification established or applied related to eligibility for service in any of the Armed Forces must only consider (1) the ability of an individual to meet the general occupational standards for service, and (2) the particular military occupational specialty.On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, declaring that the United States recognizes two sexes (male and female) and these sexes are not changeable.On January 27, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness, expressing that the policy for troop readiness is inconsistent with gender dysphoria or the use of pronouns that inaccurately reflect an individual’s biological sex. Further, the order directs DOD to update specific guidance documents related to medical standards for military service to reflect the purpose and policy of the order.

Buffalo Soldiers Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025This bill provides for a Congressional Gold Medal to be awarded to the Buffalo Soldier regiments (six all-Black cavalry and infantry regiments authorized by Congress in 1866 to serve in the Armed Forces) in recognition of their vital service to the United States.

Flight 293 Remembrance ActThis bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to identify and publish information related to non-combat military plane crashes and provide support to families of members of the Armed Forces who die in such crashes.Specifically, DOD must identify and document all non-combat military plane crashes categorized as Operational Loss/Non-War Loss. Further, DOD must develop and maintain a public database of the names, ranks, and service details of all members of the Armed Forces who died in such crashes.DOD must also provide assistance to the families of members of the Armed Forces who have died in non-combat crashes by (1) ensuring the families are aware of and have access to DOD benefits, resources, and support services; (2) offering personalized guidance on navigating and applying for such benefits, resources, and support services; and (3) connecting those families with community and peer support networks.Additionally, DOD must establish a designated point of contact for such families to guide them through the benefits process, provide certain updates, and liaise with relevant agencies or organizations to ensure coordinated assistance.The bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability, sex, race, color, or national origin in the provision of assistance and services under this bill.